Published: 5/Jul/2017
Source: UNHCR West Africa

WEST AFRICA BECOMES THE 1ST REGION IN THE WORLD TO ADOPT A REGIONAL PLAN OF ACTION

A new milestone in the fight against statelessness

After the three-day regional ministerial level meeting hosted by the Government of the Gambia and jointly organized by ECOWAS and UNHCR, the 15 ECOWAS Member States reviewed and validated a regional plan of action to eradicate statelessness by 2024, now referred to as the “Banjul Plan of Action”.

During the first two days of the meeting, the 15 Government focal points for statelessness issues, designated under Article 22 of the Abidjan Declaration, reviewed the plan of action, which elaborates concrete measures and specific timeframes that aim at resolving obstacles to the acquisition of nationality in the region.

The Banjul Plan of Action was validated on 9 May 2017 by the 15 ministers responsible for nationality issues. It was then adopted at the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, in Monrovia, Liberia, on 2 June 2017 and thereby became a legally binding document. Through this bold effort, West Africa confirms its worldwide leadership in the fight against statelessness.